CCTV puts spotlight on our wastewater network
Wastewater pipelines in Gore and Mataura will be subject to scrutiny this winter as the Gore District Council undertakes a four-month inspection of the network.
CCTV inspections of the wastewater network are due to late May/early June. It will provide the Council’s 3 Waters team with good visuals showing the condition of pipelines. This information will enable staff to develop a renewal strategy, prioritising the worst affected sections of the pipeline.
Gore District 3 Waters Asset Manager Matt Bayliss said this was the first time the Council has been able to carry out an extensive inspection of the network thanks to $600,000 of Government funding.
The money has come from the $2.7 million COVID-19 Three Waters Stimulus Fund, which the Council received from the Government as part of the proposed 3 Waters Reform.
“We have done CCTV inspections in the past, but only on an ‘as required’ basis as we’ve never had sufficient funding.
“As with many councils around the country, we know we’ve got some major issues with our infrastructure that’s going to require significant investment in the short to medium term.”
Before the CCTV is deployed, contractors will be cleaning wastewater pipelines using a high-pressure water blaster.
“This can cause turbulence and fluctuations in the air pressure in your property’s wastewater system, so it will be important for residents to keep their toilet lids closed while we are working in their area.”
Contractors will be doing letter drops to affected residents a couple of days before they arrive in an area. The Council will also be sending out weekly updates via its app Antenno and social media.
“There will be a bit of disruption, but we will try to keep it to a minimum.”
The work is scheduled to start in late May and will take between four to six months to complete. The plan is to inspect about 20km of pipeline, Mr Bayliss said.
The $2.7 million stimulus funding will also renew the wastewater and water mains in Wigan Street. Work on Wigan Street is expected to get underway in August, subject to contractor and material availability.
